Lady Day

Just saw Audra in Lady Day. Loved her in Ragtime and have been meh about her other performances.

She is simply amazing in Lady Day. I left the theatre 30 minutes ago and still have chills. She gives a master class in performance and leaves an indelible impression of Billie Holliday

One of the finest performances I have ever seen

There's a thread for that

Was in the city Saturday to support a friend who wrote a show that was in NYMF. Wasn't planning on going to a show that night until my dinner plans fell through. I stopped by the box office and ended up scoring one of the cabaret seats right beside the stage. The following 90 minutes was one of the most devastating, heart-wrenching, and amazing performances I've had the pleasure of seeing in my lifetime.

It's not often that I leave a theater feeling like it was a privilege to witness a show. I felt that way about Lady Day.

Question for the board- had this been nominated for best musical instead of best play, would it have won? Was any musical this season on par with this show?

I personally don't believe so.

Also had the pleasure of meeting Audra at the stage door and she was beautiful and gracious with everyone who waited.

The best night I had at the theater all season long.

"Question for the board- had this been nominated for best musical instead of best play, would it have won? Was any musical this season on par with this show?"

It's hard to ponder the outcomes when it requires putting the show in the wrong category. Similarly, would Neil Patrick Harris have beat Jessie Mueller for Best Actress in a Musical?

I do wonder if this WAS nominated in the musical category, if it have been a revival since it was originally done in the 80's.

So, you've created an alternate reality where your favorites still don't win Tony awards?! From what I've learned on BWW, I think you're supposed to monkey with the variables until your things win... although you did give yourself a bit of a hollow victory in that Lady Day deserved to win, but couldn't compete with Hedwig's PR machine, heh.

She turned your boyfriend gay.

An entertaining piece of theater.

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I disagree. I think the actual play, while not necessarily revolutionary or anything, does a great job at depicting the way in which American culture often has no place for people like Billie Holliday once they become "difficult" and not particularly respectable. The tension between Billie's way of telling the stories (her jokes, her nonchalant attitude about some really awful things that were going on in her life) and the actual content of what she's saying is devastating and I'd even say incisive. Yes, Audra's performance is a wonder, easily one of the best I expect to ever see (the moment that will always stay with me was watching her move her back after she comes back from her "break," to be able to use your body like that is simply astonishing). But the performance wouldn't be there if she didn't have a script to support the great work she's doing. She absolutely elevates the play, but I think it's misguided to say the play is trivial.

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My theatre barometer. 24 hours later (and a horrible work day as part of that) and I am still affected by that performance and that show. There have been a handful in my (refuses to say but more than 30) years seeing over 300 Broadway shows which have affected me in this way. The words and direction were as devastating as the performance. Audra (again not in the Audra fan club) added so many layers and emotions. Subtle, devastating.

It makes me very happy to be be able to see live performance of this quality. And it gives me hope

Carry on